How to choose a set for gel polish?

Every year, many new products are created in the beauty industry, but none of them can withstand comparison with nail coatings that combine the properties of manicure gels and varnishes (gel polish). This progressive development has made a real revolution: now there is no need for daily renewal of the coating or restoration of nails after artificial increase in their length (extension). Anyone who wants to look great all the time can only find out what is required to apply gel polish and buy all the required items. It is easy to master the technique of covering nails with this tool.

In stores, you can purchase a ready-made starter kit for using gel polish, but at the initial stage for a beginner, a much better option is to buy materials separately and create a personal set of tools. Regardless of how you assemble your own kit, as a result, you should definitely have the following items on your desktop.

This is the most expensive device in the set, as a result of which, as a rule, ready-made sets are equipped with compact UF lamps with a power of 9 Watt (inexpensive sample, long drying time) or led lamps (more expensive devices, but the drying time for gel polish is only 30 seconds ).

It is not easy to imagine a well-executed manicure without the use of scissors and forceps.A standing specialist "in service" has several varieties of this tool: for cuticles and for nails.

When purchasing scissors, you need to pay attention to their shape: they should fit comfortably in the hand, the ends of the blades should be slightly bent - this makes it possible to guide them along the cuticle without interrupting the process.

This spatula with a silicone tip serves to gently push back the cuticle and thoroughly cleanse the pterygia (the lower layer of the cuticle) concentrated underneath. In addition, the pusher comes to the rescue when removing the coating residues from nails. It is very convenient to use as it does not harm your nails.

You will need a nail file and buff. They differ from those in your cosmetic bag in their rigidity and are designed to process nails before coating.

Brushes differ in the following characteristics: size, bristle material and shape. According to the type of drawings you intend to create, you can put together a set of several different tools.

The hair bundle should be firm and relatively stiff. Natural brushes will last longer, their villi are thin, but extremely flexible and strong. Stopping your choice on this option, you need to pay attention to the shape of the hair bundle: it should be uniform, thick, the villi should not stick out in different directions, towards the end the bundle should take a teardrop shape.

Brushes with bristles made of synthetic materials are not inferior in quality indicators, are simple and undemanding to use, and can withstand washing with solvents. Perfect for beginner craftsmen, you can buy several pieces at once. Their choice is extensive, especially since there are many ready-made sets for nail design. The cost of such brushes is significantly lower than for analogues made from natural raw materials. For working with gel polish, this option will be more suitable. All brushes are numbered. The figure refers to the thickness of the hair bundle in millimeters. The thinnest is marked with 0, with increasing thickness the number increases.

• A wide brush is used for applying single-color varnishes. Use it to form the background of future large elements of the pattern or painting.
• A thin brush is fine for design. She easily draws elements, creates the outlines of butterflies, flowers or geometric objects.
• Medium thickness is good for filling pre-created paths with color. Also, this brush will come in handy when creating a French manicure.

Separate beautiful drawings on the nails cannot be done with your own hands. The thing is that you cannot depict everything with one and the same brush. For some elements, brushes of various shapes are practiced.

Let's get acquainted with their main types.

• Liner brush used to implement the smallest elements. The hair in such a brush can be elongated or medium and have an average length. Elongated is used to draw distinct lines, stripes and geometric elements of different thicknesses. With the help of a medium hair length, you can write out small figures in the form of flowers, stems or butterflies.
• Fine brush under No. 1 intended for small patterns. Through it, you can implement monograms, hieroglyphs, curls and other small elements. With certain skills, almost any composition can be created with such a brush.

• Fan brush has several functions. The bristles at its base are located in the form of a fan, which makes it possible to apply several tones at once, covering the entire plane of the nail in one motion.A similar technique is practiced for abstract coloring and smooth flow from one tone to another. In order to obtain this effect, one drop of varnish of different colors is applied to the palette and all this is mixed with a brush. It can also be used to apply rhinestones, sparkles and other small decorative details.
• Flat brushes are among the most versatile. Not only a professional, but also every beginner is able to cope with them. Used to create patterns with extended lines such as leaves, petals, fruits and in geometric abstraction.
• Shallow edge brush the flat shape is used for Chinese painting, French manicure and plant prints. Simple to handle.

To make it easier to remove gel polish, the developers have come up with reusable nail clips. They are also called clips, clothespins or caps. They look like plastic clothespins. Interestingly, in packs, all the clips are the same size, but this does not cause any inconvenience. The attachments do not put pressure on the thumb or fly off the little finger. There are clips for hands and feet, they differ in size and configuration of the structure: for the legs they are slightly wider.

Advantages of clips:

• easy to use;
• long service life;
• universal - for example, a daughter and a mother can use one pair of clips;
• tight fixation;
• widespread and affordable price;
• the gel removal efficiency is not inferior to the foil method.

The basic materials for nail coating include several basic components. The degreaser removes the greasy layer and all kinds of dirt from the plane of the nail plate. This procedure is required to ensure maximum adhesion of the coating to the nail. Almost all degreasers are based on alcohol. However, a quality product also contains vitamins that will help strengthen and heal your nails. At the same time, alcohol is also an excellent antiseptic that will prevent the formation of a fungus or infection.

Some people confuse grease remover with a dehydrator, but this is completely wrong. A dehydrator is necessary for maximum drying of nails before coating with a base, it is applied after the treatment with a degreaser has been carried out.

The bulk of the manufactured gel varnishes available today in free sale are three-phase. This means that in order to apply them, you need 3 layers: base (base varnish), varnish itself and top (fixer). Any specialist, without hesitation, will say that if you exclude at least one item from this list, you will get a low-quality manicure, as a result of which it is important to do everything step by step.

A good base is the most important component during gel polish application. The visual effect and how long the gel polish will last is based on it. There are several special types of foundations, in particular, a thicker one that can hide imperfections on the nails, or saturated with minerals and vitamins, which will nourish the nails. It makes sense to pay attention to bases with a high content of hydrolyzed keratin. This substance significantly increases the shelf life of the manicure unchanged.

The topcoat is called top. It can have a matte or glossy finish. The topcoat weakens the negative influence of external factors: water, household chemicals, mechanical influences. The coating cures in a Led or UF lamp from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The top can be made on the basis of rubber, in this case, the manicure stands out for its resistance. Matte products - with a velvety finish, glossy ones give a mirror shine.

The starter kit for applying gel polish, as a rule, includes a specialized composition that is designed to remove the sticky layer that occurs after the gel polish has dried. If the liquid is not in your kit, do not be upset: you can easily replace it with regular alcohol. The only thing is that for this you still need cotton pads or lint-free napkins. The nail polish remover will safely remove old nails. The liquid does not contain harmful substances and acetone, does not harm nails.

To treat a thin layer of skin (cuticle), use a specialized moisturizing oil. It is used after applying gel polish to the nails. Thanks to it, the cuticles and nails will gain moisture, nutrition and a healthy look. Materials for painting and drawing on nails include:

• decals for nails - sliders;
• gel pens for drawing on the base;
• dot brush with a metal ball at the end for drawing dots, drops or commas - dots.

The following elements are used to decorate nails.

• Acrylic powder - strengthens and thickens nails, used for base and decoration.
• Glitter - large and small, in the form of hearts, stars, hexagons, circles, metallized and ordinary, iridescent.
• Rhinestones are artificial transparent stones for design. They have one flat side, and the other convex. They are applied with the even side on a gel base and then covered with gel again.

• Glitters are flat acrylic glitter nail art decorations in a variety of colors, from dusty to large. Large ones can be laid out on the nail, and small ones can be used as powder.
• Organza is a thin synthetic lace of various colors.
• Silk - mesh, lace, multicolor and colored.

• Sand colored velvet - powder for decorating, gives a rough surface to the nail.
• Pebbles are small colored minerals that give a shimmery shine to the nail coating.
• Broths are tiny balls to fill.
• Rub-in is a colored powdery pigment of different colors. Rubbed with a brush using an applicator or with a finger into the surface prepared for the top.

• Seashells - fragments of mother-of-pearl for aquarium decoration.
• Rubber and acrylic fruits and flowers - for aquarium and 3D decoration.
• Cashmere is a powder for sprinkling the topcoat and giving a "fluffy" manicure.

Here are some tips and nuances that you need to keep in mind when making a purchase of gel polish and a complete set for applying it. A large number of specialists providing manicure services make purchases of everything necessary, in particular, gel polish and decorative elements, via the Internet. This can be explained by the fact that in this way you can order the highest quality product and at a lower price. Finding the necessary set of gel polishes is much easier if you use proven resources that have proven themselves on the good side. On them you can choose good quality varnishes that are in demand. Along with this, websites can also use a product search filter to simplify and speed up the search for the desired varnish.

Based on the fact that gel polish is in direct contact with the nail plate, it is able to exert some effect on the human body. As a consequence, it is necessary to pay appropriate attention directly to this point before making a choice. Some of the best products in cosmetology are the products of the following countries:

• USA;
• Germany;
• China.

You should not buy varnish, the cost of which is significantly lower than in other retail outlets. In order to make a really smart choice, it is necessary to analyze several samples from different stores. Due to the fact that varnishes are often imported from abroad, many suppliers are able to inflate the cost, and without any justification. Therefore, it is important to act in accordance with common sense and prudence. To find what suits you directly, you need to test several samples and compare their characteristics.

In the next video, you will find an overview of the gel polish starter kit from Aliexpress.